Chapter 391 - The Power and Authority of the Matriarch
I intensified my mana and focused on defense. While we were showing an aggressive stance, the majority of my focus was actually on my defensive spells. In this situation, the Anastasia Union, which had us surrounded, held the absolute advantage. There's a saying about a cornered rat biting a cat, but they likely saw our posture as nothing more than a final, desperate struggle. After all, they had mobilized hundreds of men to wait for us, and over twenty executives were surrounding us. They couldn't imagine any resistance being effective.
Every rank-and-file member surely expected that whatever we tried, the executives would simply crush it. Any executive-class member stronger than the Scion had the potential to master Martial Soul Transformation. There were twenty such people. I had to assume they could all use the secret art that surpassed physical reinforcement. Unlike the inexperienced youth we fought before, there were likely veterans here. In my current state, winning a duel against them would be difficult, and being surrounded by multiple experts made it impossible to escape by normal means.
"Ha! I wondered what you'd do!"
"There's no point in tightening your defense in this situation. Not that we're letting you escape!"
"Boring. So the rumors were just rumors. The Leader's evaluation was wrong."
My first move was to put up a defensive barrier rather than an attack, which surely disappointed them. The executives spoke as if a cowardly woman had pitifully retreated into her shell, and many others likely shared that misunderstanding. Naturally, they were wrong.
While maintaining the defense, I was simultaneously spreading a single type of colorless, odorless gas throughout the grounds. It wasn't being purified as I'd planned, and it's impossible to purify gas spread over such a large area instantly without specialized equipment. If I mixed in a second type of gas, it would become a deadly poison; adding a third would generate extreme heat and cause a massive explosion. I was preparing a catastrophically dangerous magic. Once activated, the poison would kill anyone without countermeasures, and even if they neutralized the toxin, the heat and explosion would kill indiscriminately. Unless they could purify all the gas at once, they would suffer massive casualties. I wondered how many would survive.
The curse meant that a spell that should have been instant took time to prepare. It was only because of that lag that you were all still alive. But time was running out. I wouldn't give you time to pray to the goddess or even speak your final words. You would die without knowing why or even realizing it was happening. That was to be your end.
"...What is this?"
"What's wrong? Did you eat something bad? You look pale."
"No, I'm fine. Must be my imagination."
A premonition, an intuition, a slight discomfort that couldn't be put into words. A warrior should value such things, no matter how advantageous their position. Your imagination? A top-tier warrior never ignores a gut feeling, even without evidence.
Watch out. We haven't given up at all. I could already activate the fatal magic if I wanted to, but as long as they didn't strike, I'd keep going. I'd increase the gas concentration further. If I was going to do it, I'd make it a historic event.
"Focus, everyone! The Leader wouldn't lie. Don't let your guard down!"
They couldn't imagine an attack using mana so thin it was undetectable. But anyone sharp would realize that putting up a barrier wasn't just about hiding like a turtle. If they knew anything about the Kikyou-kai, they'd know we were never passive.
Looking at us now, did you really think we'd given up? They couldn't sense my hidden magic, but didn't they find anything suspicious? All these powerful men gathered here, and not one realized their lives were in danger? Really? As warriors, your instincts should be telling you something. You should feel your lives being gripped by another. Why dismiss that feeling as your imagination?
"What is this? I can't stop sweating..."
"W-What is this air?"
Yes, stop pretending. You are feeling fear. An unknown fear. Death is already upon you.
"...We're doing it. There's no telling what she'll pull. Don't let her do anything!"
Bring it on. If you can return this magic, I'll admit you're my superior. I'll give you my head. In the middle of the tense atmosphere, a middle-aged man released a massive burst of mana. This was the true secret beyond physical reinforcement. His control was quite high. He was a true executive of the Anastasia Union, unlike the immature Scion. It was impossible to face them head-on. I made that judgment just by looking at him.
"Emery, is the hole ready?"
"Just have to collapse the ground now. We're ready anytime."
"Good. Yukari, we dive in three seconds."
I nodded as the countdown began. I prepared the spell to mix the second gas into the first. I spread my thin mana as far as possible, ready to change it all at once.
"I'm sorry, little sister, but there's no other way."
The ground collapsed, and we dropped into a hole about two meters deep. As I solidified a magic barrier above our heads and prepared to release the second gas...
"Children! Don't you dare cause a ruckus in the yard!"
The massive shout, laden with intimidation, had a magic-disrupting effect. Whether intentional or accidental, it was perfectly timed interference. My second gas, which was on the verge of being released, was blocked, and the physical reinforcement magic of the Union members was also disrupted and canceled.
It wasn't a continuous disruption, so I could have restarted the spell immediately, but...
"Tch. That voice... is it that old hag?"
"Old hag? You mean the former boss's widow?"
"Yeah. She finally showed herself."
Multiple powerful presences were approaching from a different building than the executives. This group of about ten had mana even denser than the others. They were likely senior executives or a specialized strike force. Walking in the center of them, guarded by the others, was likely the widow. Her mana wasn't as large as the senior executives around her, but her previous spell was impressive.
Even though I was cursed, that previous spell was one I'd prepared with my life on the line. I'd been as careful as possible, accounting for the mana disruption. To be able to block that required a level of magical skill comparable to my own. As expected of her age; she likely had skills on par with Rosabel.
"I told you to stop. Don't make me say it twice."
Another wave of magic disruption. With this, every single person's physical reinforcement was forced to cancel again.
"Looks like an old hag we can actually talk to."
"Hah, who knows? We can't be sure yet."
"True, but she stopped the fighting, so we should see how it plays out."
Naturally, I didn't lower my guard. The first gas I'd spread was still there, so I was ready to release the second one at a moment's notice. Still, I'd rather avoid a pointless struggle if possible. To show a superficial lack of hostile intent, I decided to get out of the hole.
Both sides maintained their tension as we waited for the one who had interfered to arrive. Her influence, enough to quiet this militant crowd, was perhaps greater than the current Leader's. After all, the Union was split into two factions. Getting both to listen wasn't something even the Leader could easily do.
As I was thinking this, the group appeared from around the corner of a hedge. The Matriarch and her guards. The veteran warriors were intimidating the hundreds of members with their sharp gazes and powerful mana. It was quite a sight. If we had to fight them too, it would be difficult even to escape.
A petite woman surrounded by these warriors stepped forward. Based on Gradena's description, she was smaller than I imagined, but her eyes were sharp and she radiated a powerful aura. She didn't look withered at all. She wore a simple outfit that looked like a craftsman's smock, perhaps because she'd been at home. Her long white hair was tied into a single tail and draped over her right shoulder; she looked like a ceramicist.
"Matriarch! It's dangerous here!"
"Everyone, protect the Matriarch!"
"We'll settle this immediately, so please step back!"
The older woman was definitely the former boss's widow. It seemed she was called 'Gozen,' the Matriarch. She silenced the veteran warrior next to her who was about to speak and shot a look at each of the noisy executives in turn.
"How dare you speak so arrogantly to me. You've certainly grown bold—Oscar, Kurt, Shinon. Now, who gave you permission to act on your own? Did I give it? Did Adeel give it? Or did Leader Granzo give it?"
The voice that had disrupted the magic was now clearly rebuking the members. She directed a sharp gaze and mana-laden intimidation at them. Her mana wasn't that strong, but she had incredible presence. I suppose that's what true dignity looks like.
"When did anyone say you could be rude to guests? Are you trying to drag the Anastasia Union's name through the mud? And telling me to step back? Know your place."
"But—"
"Adeel, your education is lacking. Was it a mistake for the Leader and me to leave things to you? Perhaps it was too early to give these boys seats as executives."
"My apologies, Matriarch."
The man next to her, likely the highest-ranking of the executives, bowed his head. He immediately walked toward the shouting executives and struck them. The man who was punched in the cheek went flying, and then he was kicked in the ribs. He repeated this for three of them.
It wasn't just a performance. Those blows had genuine power. The men who were sent flying were seriously damaged and showed no sign of getting up. Even if they took it without resisting, the fact that Union executives were taken out in two hits... the man's power was extraordinary, even if he didn't use specialized martial arts like I did.
"Oh? You're that girl from before. Gradena, was it?"
"Heh, so you remember. Looks like you haven't gone senile yet."
"Still as impudent as ever. And who's that?"
"Our President, Yukarinowe Nijoorfacy. Remember the name, old hag."
Gradena was being casually rude again. The Union members were visibly angered, but the Matriarch herself didn't seem to mind, turning her gaze toward me.
"So you are Yukarinowe. I've heard stories from the Leader. Many stories. Though your appearance seems to have changed a bit."
So she noticed the eyepatch. Her piercing gaze was likely just her natural style, but it wasn't pleasant to have directed at me. And I didn't care how much older she was; I wouldn't accept being looked down on. I was the President of the Kikyou-kai, an organization on equal footing with the Union in the den of iniquity that was Exenbra. I didn't care if she was the former boss's widow; I wouldn't be looked down upon.
"Yes. If you've heard the stories, you should know what kind of woman I am. I was about to give a fitting response to your 'generous' welcome... but you got in the way."
"I'd like to tell you to stop bluffing, but... what did you do? No, what are you doing?"
"We were the ones who were picked on. Naturally, I was preparing to slaughter everyone."
Most of the crowd likely thought it was a bluff, but a few directed looks of surprise and wariness at me. Still, none of them knew exactly what I was doing. Not knowing how to be wary made 'strike before you're struck' the only logical option.
"...That doesn't sound like a joke. But you wouldn't have come out unscathed either. A mutual death is no fun for anyone. Won't you settle this for my sake?"
I'd love to avoid a pointless struggle. But...
"Matriarch, I have no grudge against you. But we're here on the Leader's request, putting our lives on the line to protect the little sister, Sigurdnot. And today, we just came to talk. Yet your people attacked us without a word. I'd like to show you respect, but what about our pride? You gathered hundreds of men to surround and try to kill us, and now you want us to just act like it didn't happen?"
That was a ridiculous request. You pick a fight, and then try to cancel it when things get inconvenient? Stepping in after the fact and saying something so carefree—this hag really had gone senile. I was already fired up. I couldn't just cool down. I glared at her with my right eye, filled with rage and battle intent.
An organization with a soft leader wouldn't last as one of the Three Families in Exenbra. I'd show them we were different from the people who lived peacefully in Berriza. I hate being underestimated. I'll make them understand. Did they really think I was relieved to have avoided a fight? Don't insult me.
"If that's the case... I'll give you my head. Be satisfied with that and stop this pointless squabble."
Her tone was casual, but the weight of her words took a moment to sink in. Even I was surprised.
"Matriarch, no!"
"W-What are you saying, Matriarch?!"
"Matriarch!"
This old woman was serious. She was truly prepared to offer her head to settle the matter.
Ha, you've got me. If she were just talking nonsense, I would have separated her head from her body right then and there. But if I killed an old woman who was genuinely offering her life to settle a fight, it would be a disgrace for our organization. Especially since we hadn't taken a single scratch yet; killing her now would be going too far.
Tch. As expected of her age. She really knows how to steer a conversation.